Effect of Simulated Vibration and Storage on Quality of Tomato

Abstract

The influence of simulated transport vibration and storage conditions for 10 days on tomato fruits quality (color, weight, firmness, total soluble solids, and headspace gases) were investigated. Better kinetic models for color changes, weight loss, and firmness of stored tomato fruits were selected. Tomato fruits were divided equally into two main groups where the first one was subjected to vibration at a frequency of 2.5 Hz for two hours and the other group was set as a control (with no vibration stress). Both tomato groups were stored for 10 days at 10 °C and 22 °C storage conditions. The results showed a reduction in total soluble solids, yellowness, weight, lightness in the tomato fruits subjected to vibration at 22 °C storage condition. Ethylene and carbon dioxide increased by 124.13% and 83.85% respectively on the same condition (22 °C). However, storage at 10 °C slowed down the investigated quality changes attributes of both tomato groups (vibrated and control) during storage. The weight loss change kinetics of both tomato groups at both storage temperatures were highly fitted with a zero-order kinetic model. Color and firmness kinetic changes of tomato groups stored at both conditions were described well by zero and first order kinetic models. To validate the appropriateness of the selected model, lightness, redness, yellowness, and firmness were taken as an example. The study revealed that the vibration occurrence and increasing storage temperature cause various changes in the quality attributes of tomatoes.